DONATE!

let's give a hand to the people in the philippines who have been affected by this terrible natural disaster, Typhoon Ondoy.



Thanks guys so much.
http://ustream.tv/channel/ajrafael

#HealPhilippines

we're trying to get it to trend!

AJ

it's been a while...

a lot has happened since the last time i really sat down and blogged, and i apologize for not keeping ya'll updated. but you guys know ive been busy with footloose and music speaks since i've been back here in cali. now that i'm back in cali, i've been playing shows every weekend after music speaks and it's been real busy! i'll try to write as much as i can in this blogspot every so often. but for now i need your help.

WALK NOW FOR AUTISM

as you might know, i put on a concert last month called Music Speaks. it was a 2-day event with artists such as Gabe Bondoc, Passion, and Quest Crew, and my band! and many other talented people who also are some of my very close friends. to everyone that came through and donated to the cause: thank you SO much, you've helped us put up a successful concert and spread awareness about Autism to a great amount of people.

we're now going beyond just the concert. we're walking for Autism on November 14, 2009 at the Anaheim Angels Stadium. all the details are here at http://walknowforautism.org

i made a team called TEAM MUSIC SPEAKS. and i need your help. walk with us and/or donate to the cause by going to http://walknowforautism.org/orangecounty/musicspeaks

we need to recruit at least 100 walkers and are trying to raise 15,000 dollars for Autism! please help us raise more money for this cause, as you know is very personal to me because my older sister's son, Nathan, has Autism and we need to help to fund research into finding a cure for this disorder.

tell everyone you can please! through twitter, youtube, myspace, facebook, whatever you can think of!

--note--
on the website you cannot donate less than $20. if you want to donate less than $20 please send the check/money (payable to Autism Speaks) to my PO box and i'll make sure to donate it with our Team. write your name (if it happens to be your parents' check) on the bottom left hand corner of the check so i can write your name down on our list of contributors too!

here's the P.O. Box:
AJ Rafael
12625 Frederick St
Ste. I-5 #303
Moreno Valley, CA 92553

thanks SO MUCH ya'll!!! let's do this big!!!

-AJ

Happy Birthday Dad!

i'm sorry i've been MIA. but today's a special day... well its about to be over but heres an email my Auntie Viol wrote about my father, her brother, that she sent to all our family. just so you guys have an idea about who he was, and how great of a legacy he left my family and i.




God’s blessings folks!,

Today is the Birthday of my beloved brother Arturo Sacramento Rafael, Jr. The name alone is great! King Arthur , .Sacramento, 7 Sacraments. which is very sacred, while Rafael, San Rafael, a saint, the archangel, the bearer of good news, the Healer in the Catholic faith.

Now, I fully understand why Junior was always surrounded by beautiful girls during his student days, because aside from his God-given musical talents, he had a gentle spirit and “muy caballero” and probably the girls looked at him as their knight like King Arthur, a 5th and 6th British Chieftain.

King Arthur. presided over the famous Round Table which assembled a band of “Chosen Knights.” The adventures of these knights form the subject-matter of numerous romances in the Arthurian Cycle. His court is the model court for the cultivation of every knight’s virtue.

Wherever he was, whether inside the classroom or outside, in the campus, pretty girls were flocking around him. Why?, aside from being the only male student of mine at that time, secondly he was oozing with God’s-given gifts. He was the Choir Director of almost every college in the University. Name it folks!, Conservatory of Music, Liberal Arts, Nursing, Optometry, etc. A beautiful student of mine, a sister of a popular actress showed her admiration by exclaiming: “If Arthur would only show me, even a little affection, I would be the one to make the marriage proposal.”

But despite the fact that numerous beautiful-talented girls were linked to him, (I should know, I was his confident, mentor and best friend (next to his wife Shirley, of course!) the one and only true love of him, whom he married in the Catholic Church is the mother of AJ (Arthur), a song-writer, producer, singer, composer, arranger, choir director, band leader, instrumentalist, etc.
“Sinakop ng lahat.” Jasmine, plays violin and a very good dancer, Justine does ballet dancing.
Shirley, the singing nurse, a very hard-working and dedicated mother, who is every child’s dream to be his/her mother. I am not surprised to be informed that one song of AJ has more than a million hits in “Youtube.com/ajrafael” also in myspace. AJ’s music is a permanent fixture in our place. Richard and Rommel, most especially Richard always listen and watch AJ’s video.
AJ could have written more songs than Michael Jackson! Everywhere here, be it in the car, inside the house, etc. it’s AJ you’ be seeing and hearing. I often get so nostalgic…wishing…I wish Junior were here, he would certainly be proud of his son. I was very proud of Junior, I still do, as he was of me.

Junior was everybody’s favorite, Lola Edang favorite grandchild, Dico Channing’s (ma’s brother who sent all his sisters Tita Juaning, Del, and Floring to school)., Ma’s favorite son, every nephew’s and niece ‘s favorite uncle.

I was so touched when Papa said that if he could only see Junior perform in public, professionally conducting a choir, he could afford to die the next day! Ate Zen was screaming: “Bakit hindi pa ako ang kinuha, si Junior pa! AJ was barely 10 years old then, Jasmine about 8 or 9 while Justine was 6 months old.

I kept on asking the Lord , Who is a Promise Maker and A Promise Keeper. …Why? up to the present time the same question…why, Lord? Why did you take him so early? He could still do a lot of things for you…, for mankind. I wasn’t prepared for his early and untimely demise. I had so many dreams, plans, aspirations for my beloved younger brother.

As if at a glance I saw the words: “He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.” Philippians 1:6

Junior was given the honor to continue PAPA’s good work… now AJ will bring to completion/perfection the good work Jesus Christ began in Junior’s life. I am assured that Junior is somewhere up above there…waving, smiling, beaming, watching with pride the family he left behind, temporarily here on earth…commending Shirley…good work “der.” I love all of you!



To be continued.


Love, Peace and Prayers,

Ate/Tita Viol
Phil 4:13
5 Sept. 05

with love,
AJ

a new chapter...

so footloose is over! those 6 weeks of hard work and learning to dance was one of the hardest things i've had to go through (performing wise) but it was all worth it in the end. if you didnt go you missed out! and i'm mad at you! haha jk.. no but foreal... you missed out.

so with my project "MUSIC SPEAKS" coming up, i got so much to do. my band is coming in today (minus andrew rhim) and we're gonna practice for next week cuz we're recording 3 tracks at a studio!!! =]] i'm excited. andrew's comin down with us monday morning cuz me noah and shiori and rb are going to the Bay to visit this weekend! =]

noah comes in in like an hour and shiori comes in at night around 1030pm. i'm excited! woow! also if you were wondering how FAP went.. it was great. so many talented people. and so many good memories.

hope you guys are excited about MUSIC SPEAKS. thanks for all your help so far, i'll have a donation button soon for you guys to donate to the cause. thanks yall.

heres the new flyer i designed.


love yall.
AJ

Footloose! The Musical

so i got the lead role at a production of Footloose! the Musical at Riverside City College. i've been workin super hard on my dancing and singing and dancing and singing at the same time... haha its been a long six weeks preparing for this show. it'd be awesome if you came out.

come see me as Ren McCormack!

Footloose The Musical
Riverside City College
Riverside, CA
Landis Performing Arts Theatre
951 222 8100 for tickets!

July 30, 31 at 7pm
August 1 at 2pm

Thanks yallllll!

quick synopsis
Footloose is a 1984 American musical film that tells the story of Ren McCormack, played by Kevin Bacon, a teenager who was raised in Chicago. McCormack moves to a small town where the local government has banned dancing and rock music. Ren and his classmates want to have a senior prom with music and dancing. They must figure out a way to get around the law and Reverend Shaw Moore, played by John Lithgow, who blames rock music's influence for the death of his first child.

that's the movie synopsis LOL

AJ

MUSIC SPEAKS!!!

i need your help!

i'm producing a concert along with some of my friends RB, Dustin, & Krissy and we need help with sponsorships.

Here is the synopsis of the mission of MUSIC SPEAKS!

About MUSIC SPEAKS: The Mission
By AJ Rafael & Jasmine Rafael
"Music Speaks" has an important mission, aiming to spread awareness about Autism, and encourage action that would improve the conditions of the lives and families that it affects. A personal experience that inspired this goal is when my nephew, Nathan, was diagnosed with Autism when he was about two years old. Despite his condition, Nathan is a loving, fun, and active child who is very responsive to all of us, and is born with the love of music and dance. The more we love and watch over Nathan as he grows older, the more frustrating it can be knowing that his peers will never fully understand his situation, and these misunderstandings could lead to prejudice and pain for him throughout his life. "Music Speaks" means utilizing the gifts of Music and Dance to inspire those fortunate enough to be born without autism to speak out for those who were, by being aware of their condition and taking action towards improving their living conditions and perhaps even uncovering the mystery behind its cause.

this concert benefits Autism Speaks, a charity dedicated to funding global biomedical research into the causes, prevention, treatments, and cure for autism.

please spread the word.

The event is a 2-day event: August 28th and 29th, 2009.

August 28th will be the main event called MUSIC SPEAKS! featuring the AJ Rafael Band, MVCC, and other amazing acts! and the 29th will be a follow-up entitled MUSIC SPEAKS: unplugged (featuring acoustic performances by Melissa Polinar, Cathy Nguyen & More)

here's the Sponsorship Letter link!
http://glowing-vision.net/musicspeaks.doc

thanks so much! and if you need any other information or anything like that, message me on myspace or email ajrafaelmusic@gmail.com with "MUSIC SPEAKS" as the subject.

love you all,
AJ

fatherly love

I do realize its been almost a month since I've updated. I do apologize.

Just a quick happy fathers day to all fathers. Esp my father up in heaven and andrew garcia, one of my best friends. Well... what's been up w me lately? I started a disney series on youtube. Check those vids out. There's 4 of them so far. I also started up my choir MVCC again. Love them. Were rehearsing for a HUGE concert in august.

August 28 and 29: MUSIC SPEAKS.
Ft. The AJ RAFAEL BAND.

Yep I'm bringin em in from boston. Its gonna be epic! official lineup will be announced soon. Let's hype it up. Heritage forum in anaheim, ca.

Anyway, also been chillin w jenny suk, great singer from youtube, this whole past week. She's been chillin in socal when she was supposed to be in norcal. Thanks jenny for comin out and sharing ur talent with us. We miss u already.

I'm driving with my family right now (moms driving) to a lunch party. I sang "dance with my father" at church before mass started today. Its been 9 fathers day's without him. To think my little sister justine just had one fathers day with my dad is what really breaks my heart. I wish justine was old enough to get to know him. But I'm sure she knows how much of a legacy he left with all of us. I love that jasmine still has music in her life... writing songs and singing. Justine sings in my moms childrens choir (the same one my dad left behind, altho there r new kids obviously) and both my sisters dance at a studio and they both were blessed with a great gift to dance. My mom still leads choir at church while I help her out by playing. Its been like this for the last 10 years without him and I'm glad it hasn't changed. Life is too short. Don't take it for granted. Live life with no regrets. Live life to the fullest. Live life with the music blasting and the windows down. Life = love, love = music.

Aj

we've all got our junk...

and my junk is you.
-Spring Awakening

so my dog, kitchie (not the one who had the puppies), wakes me up every morning at 9am. regardless of how early or late i sleep; i wake up at 9 everyday and the day is forced upon me. so im starting this just like how i write most of my songs... without knowing where it's going. my sister, jasmine (killajamzz), is watching the Twilight bonus features on blu-ray right now and my other sister, justine, is at school at the moment. i just got my piano tuned by the way. expect more videos with just piano... that instrument is powerful, let me tell ya.

BAND[AID] was last friday. it was a benefit show featuring local talent. it was one crazy experience. the crowd was ridiculously supportive and it honestly was one of the best crowds i've played for. sold over 50 Peace, Love, and AJ shirts and received some pretty awesome gifts from some fans. from a stuffed koala bear to a batman easter egg. thank you to dusty and rb for always handling the merch so well. here's a video, i need to speak no longer about this show, the videos explain it all.





so im back in cali, and have seen pretty much everyone... although most people are still in school, we've all been chillin. got a gym pass, and am trying to look decent for the beach this summer haha. since i've been back, i watched kina live at UCLA, watched Star Trek with david choi and friends, said goodbye to a dear friend Randolph at the airport as he was leaving to the philippines, played piano for Lydia Paek again and it was so refreshing, and stayed up past 2am every single day. more to come. much love.

also spent this weekend with jesse barrera , gracienne, larry, and jamil, tin and alan from SD. heres a pic of my puppies jesse and grace took.





AJ

so let me say before we part...

but because i knew you, i have been changed...
for good.
-stephen schwartz

i will never forget walking down from 85 park drive-- my first apartment-- and up boylston st back to berklee, my random adventures to the prudential center to kill time in between classes, the inspiration i gained watching awesome shows at the BPC, trotting down newbury street shopping without checking my balance in my account beforehand, bringing people to bodega (thinking its a convenience store) and johnny cupcakes (thinking its a bakery) for their first time, band rehearsals with my very own "band", going to domino's at 2:45AM just before it closes at 3, knowing when the Red Sox lost because of the expression on everyone's face as they walk in crowds going opposite of fenway, taking the T (subway/train) and holding in laughter as i see someone who's about to throw up on the stranger next to them because they're so wasted, falling and tripping in the T as i try to play it off even though everyone saw me while they don't offer to help me up, the first college dance i've been to-- "Snowball" (crazy times), donna's background vocals class, staying in classrooms jammin till 1:30AM or until the security kicks us out, eating at mcdonalds or wendys for days at a time because they're the only cheap food places around berklee, playing piano at st cecilia's and feeling the music in a totally different way than normal, being in the Bob Marley Ensemble with one of my best friends carly, waking up and looking at my phone seeing that i've missed my hip hop writing and production class for the 3rd time in a row, walking around in a LA Lakers hat and hearing a random voice say "F*** LA!", getting my haircut at Floyd's Barbershop next to the nasty chinese food place Nan Ling that everyone only eats at cuz its open till 3AM, going to Shaw's in the middle of the night, bugging andrew to sleepover at his place cuz me, kris, and angel are too lazy to walk home, making my first snow angels in my first northeastern winter, singing backups for singers night, trying out and getting called back and learning from failure, my teachers, blogTV sessions from berklee classrooms and/or andrew's apt, walking around northeastern's campus wishing that berklee had one, dance parties in the berklee classrooms (CLUB 208!), the library that had every music book ever printed, the heartwarming welcome cecily and jess gave me when i didn't have a place to stay, my roomates dwight/kels and pablo and our interesting and random moments, the musicians that have made me wanna practice the minute i was out of their presence, going outside during a full moon eating a banana for good luck, crossing the street that seemed to always have cars on it therefore having to run every single time, visitors who i brought around Boston to explore as i was doing as well, being with my family in a hotel all weekend, helping people with their MUSIC homework opposed to math and science and things like this, the first trip i made in boston to the aquarium, my last jam session with Ahmir at BU in the stairwell, seeing john mayer on the streets of boston-- and i will never forget the people that i have met during my stay here that will hold places in my heart until the end of time.

you kicked snow in my hi-tops, you blasted rain in my face at 20mph, you caught me outside without a jacket during a storm, you made me look at nature differently, you gave me fresh air and endless sky, you gave me the freedom to walk your streets with nothing but music on my mind, and you have made me a better person. i will miss you, Boston.

plane leaves at 6:40PM from Logan Airport. oh how i hate goodbyes. lets make this "goodbye" a "see ya later" k?
goin' home.
AJ

so this is it...

the final curtain call. my time here is over.
-jesse barrera

well in 4 days. i'm almost outta here. and one thing that has been on my mind for a while is staying here at Berklee. it's so hard to think that i won't be around next fall, or spring, and i'm not sure how long it will take for me to come back, it could be never. but right now, i hope you guys understand that some places are not for everyone. as much as i enjoyed Berklee College of Music, i must bid my goodbye. for now at least. right now, what's important to me is being with my family and focusing solely on my career as an artist. it's almost been 5 years since i've written my first song, and since then i have worked so hard on songwriting, singing, and performing. i'm not saying i deserve anything because everything i have is a blessing and i wouldn't mind if this was as far as i got, but i long to spread my music to as many people possible, and i think right now the ball is rolling for me and it's all about timing. i hope you all support my decision, and know that i have had plenty of fights with my family about my decision. as far as my mom goes, she supports me 100% and i am very blessed to have her support because i know its hard to support someone trying to make a living off of music. while i'm out in California, i'll be taking a few classes at RCC (since i'm already enrolled and was attending a year prior) and just taking it slow for now. hope you guys know that i have thought long and hard about this, and right now i think i need to be in California. believe it or not, jam sessions till 4am happen more on the west coast. i love you guys. and i'll keep you guys posted with everything.

people at Berklee (and the rest of Boston); thank you for your friendship, and teachers too-- all of you are inspiring. i wish you all the best of luck. and for those i shared close friendships with; i will miss getting classrooms with you all and staying until security kicked us out at 1AM. thank you for believing in me, and for the good times. i will never forget them.

but im not gone yet, i got 4 more days. and my family is here with me until monday, but wednesday i go back to the west coast, stay at my house for a day, then fly up to Canada for a show in Winnipeg on the 15th (more info on my myspace), and im back home for good.

ps sorry its been a while, i was waiting for the right time to write about this. take care ya'll


AJ